Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

The talents of Max & Dave Fleischer were surely not wasted on this terrific little cartoon. The use of real sets or dioramas for the backgrounds in their cartoons was a brilliant idea, and looks fantastic. Especially compared to the cranked-out garbage that litters the TV nowadays. This toon is available on many 'public domain' vhs tapes, and should be easy to locate by eager collectors or cartoon fans.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948)

*** (out of 4)

Max Fleischer's animated short tells the story of the red-nosed reindeer who is constantly picked on until Santa's needs his help delivering gifts on Christmas. This 9-minute short would end up being the final film that Fleischer would ever direct and it also turned out to be the last that he would produce. There's no question that the 1964 Rankin/Bass version has overshadowed this one and I think it's fair to say that the later version is much better but that's still no reason for people not to check this one out. I thought the animation, as you'd expect, to be very good and I especially liked the opening scenes where we meet Rudolph and the other reindeer's. I thought their little play land had a lot of imagination going for it and the colors certainly jumped off the screen. The story is pretty good as well but then again I think it would be very hard to mess it up. At just 9-minutes the film goes by extremely fast and there's certainly no dry moments to drag the film. The one major difference here is that the "village" is animals and not humans. Nothing major of a change but it's still worth noting.

Whether it's among the Flesicher Brothers' best is up for debate, but it does have some significance for being the first telling of the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer story on screen and it is difficult to resist it really. It is in the shadow of the classic 1964 version and is not quite as good, but that means no disrespect because it is a winner on all levels. The animation is so beautifully done, you can tell from the very first moment that it is Fleischer Bros animation. The backgrounds have a lot of fluidity, the character designs are appealing at least and the colours are warm and vibrant and gets even more so as Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer(1948) progresses. The music is very lushly orchestrated performed just as much by the orchestra and the chorus singing for the title song brings such a nostalgic warmth, a refreshingly different way to a song that is often jazzed-up or played on the piano(not a problem at all). The introduction section of the title song has rarely been more beautifully sung than here, some may find it mushy and saccharine depending on tastes considering as it has been done in a more accessible way since and that's understandable, with me it's one of my personal favourite renditions of the song(which is one of the catchiest, most instantly recognisable and all-time great festive songs). The narration is written and voiced with dignity and knowing, and the storytelling has all the elements of this well-known story and does it with so much heart-warming charm and poignancy, also wisely doing it in a simple but never simplistic way. Rudolph always has been a relatable character and he is here, you feel for him as he's bullied and you cheer when he overcomes what he's been through, which is why this cartoon and the story is and can be seen as an inspiration. If you've ever been bullied you'd understand completely and also if you haven't but know or have seen anybody go through it. All the other characters, especially jovial Santa, are engaging as well. In conclusion, a beautiful and inspiring cartoon that deserves to be better known, that it's not quite in the same class as the 1964 classic shouldn't be a detriment. On a brief note, some may have seen it for the first time as a fan of Fleischer animation, my case was somewhat unusual in that the cartoon was used to accompany the song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer(in a different and not as nice rendition) in Very Merry Christmas Songs in the Disney Sing Along series, despite the fact that- as later found out- that it wasn't Disney. That over, from personal rating this rates 10/10. Bethany Cox

This first film version of Robert L. May's story is a color animated cartoon by Max and Dave Fleisher which covers the salient points of the classic holiday saga in a brisk and breezy seven minutes. Rudolph, Santa and Reindeer Games are all in place along with Johnny Marks' beloved song.

The warm and winning short artistically surpasses the better-known Rankin-Bass puppet version but does not quite rival it for charm. Baby Boomers will look in vain for Sam the Snowman, Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius and the Abominable Snowman.

The once-rare cartoon is currently available on a number of video compilations of seasonal short subjects.

A JAM HANDY PICTURE Cartoon Short.

On a particularly foggy Christmas Eve, RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER turns his humiliating birth defect into a beneficial asset...

Two decades before Rudolph came to the small screen, Robert L. May's enduring creation was given the Max Fleischer special touch in this nostalgic cartoon. Johnny Marks' infectious song leads into the well-known story of Santa's Winter weather troubles & how the bullied little deer saved the day/night. A few of the graphics are reminiscent of Fleischer's splendid SUPERMAN series.

The cartoon adds some new details to the story - Mama Rudolph in a dress & apron is a rather strange sight - but basically this version, narrated by Paul Wing, laid the groundwork for later adaptations. While rather obscure, if uncovered this would make a fine addition to a family's Christmas Eve viewing.